Car-coupling



(No Model.)

W. J. WALKER & L. HAMMBRSCHMIDT.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 489,770. Patented Jan. l0, 1893.

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Ammliillsw H8 Uivrrnn STaTns PATENT Trina.

VILLIAM. J. VAIJKER AND LOUIS HAMMERSOHMIDT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,770, dated January10, 1893.

Applatill led July 30| 1392- Serial No. 441,698. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we,WILLIAM J. 1WALKER and Louis HAMMnRsoHMIDT, of thecity of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Car- Oouplings, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof.

Our invention relates to improvements in car couplings, and it consistsin the novel combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinaftermore fully described and designated in the claims.

In the drawings:-Figure 1, is a perspective of a coupler constructedaccording to our invention and attached to a car. Fig. 2,-is a verticallongitudinal section of the coupler with the parts in their normalposition. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of our improved shaft foroperating the coupler. and, Fig. 4, is a front elevation of a couplerhaving a device attached thereto for opening the knuckle, which is inthis instance somewhat modified to that shown in the preceding figures.

Our invention principally consists in certain details in theconstruction of the locking device, whereby better results are obtained,and further in means for automatically opening the knuckle when thelocking device is released, without in any way aifecting the trueworkings of the coupler or complicating the same.

Referring tothe drawings 1, represents the draft timbers which areusually found fixed to the ends of the car and to which the coupler 2,is secured in the well known manner. The shape of the coupler is suchthat will couple with thatclass of couplers known as the Janney type.The coupler 2, comprises a draw-head 8, which forms the forwardstationary portion of the same to the, side of which a knuckle 4, ispivoted in the well known manner.

5, represents the tail end of the knuckle which is normally locatedwithin the throat 6, of the drawhead but moves from out of the same whenthe said knuckle is open.

7, represents the fiat bearing surface of the tail 5, which comes incontact with the vertical flat surface of the locking device when theknuckle is in a closed position. The said tail end of the hook is alsoprovided with a horizontal bearing'surface 8, upon which the end of thelocking device is adapted to rest when the knuckle is in an openposition.

9, represents a cavity which is formed in the upper wall of the drawheadwhich receives the forward end of the locking device when elevated inorder to allow the knuckle to be turned. The outer rear wall of thedrawhead or that which forms the cavity is flat as shown at 10, whichacts as a bufdng surface when the cars come together.

11, represents the locking device which is movably secured within thecoupler, by a bolt 12, passed through the same and the said coupler.

13, represents the forward hooked end of the locking device the lowerportion of which is normally located with a space formed for itsreception in the bottom of the drawhead. The width of the locking deviceis such that will fill the throat of the drawhead when in its lowestposition as best shown in Figi..

By inspecting Fig. 2, it will be seen that the locking device 11, ispivoted to the drawhead intermediate of its ends, leaving a rearwardextension 14, which extension projects at an incline in order to allowthe forward end of the locking device to be elevated. v

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the forward end ofthe locking device when in its lowest position is interposed between thetail end of the knuckle and the solid inner wall of the throat of thedrawhead.

15, represents a shaft of suitable length one end of which is bent at aright angle thereto as shown at 16, and the opposite end of the saidshaft is provided with a handle 17, for manipulating the same in amanner as hereinafter described.

18, represents a chain one end of which is attached to the rearwardextension 14, of the locking device and its opposite end attached to thebent end of the shaft 15, premising however that said chain passesthrough a space 19, formed in the bottom of the coupler. In thisinstance it will be seen that the opening in the top of the drawhead isdispensed with and consequently no dirt or other like substance can gainaccess to the interior of the coupler.

20, represents two brackets the upper ends IOO of which are attached tothe bottom of the car in any desirable manner, and their lower endsprovided with bearings 21, through which the shaft 15, is passed forsupporting the same.

The next and very important feature of the coupler is the deviceemployed for automatically opening the knuckle after the locking deviceis elevated. This is accomplished in avery simple and effective mannerby attaching to the shaft 15, an arm 21, to the upper end of which isattached one end of a chain 22, and the opposite end of the said chainfixed to the lower surface of the knuckle 4, in any desirable manner.When the handle 17, is operated in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2,the locking device is first released and by a further movement of thesaid handle in the same direction the knuckle 4, will be pulled open theslack in the chain 22, being exhausted. Of course when the knucklebegins to move the locking device will continue to move and consequentlya suitable amount of space is left by the cavity yfor said movement.

In Fig. 4 we have shown a modification of the opening device for theknuckle 4, in which instance a chain 23, is employed similar to thatpreviously described, one end of which is attached to the lower surfaceof the knuckle 4, and to the opposite end of the said chain is suspendeda weight 24, which operates to open the said knuckle when the lockingdevice is released. 25, represents a pulley which is fixed to the bottomof the car at any suitable position over which the said chain 23,passes, effecting the result desired.

The devices heretofore employed for automatically opening the knuckleare not only expensive but owing to their construction are liable to getout of order. The construction of the parts employed by us is verysimple and consequently should any of them become disabled a short timewould only be required to renew the same.

Having fully described our invention what we claim is:-

1. A ear coupler of the class described, having a vertically operatinglocking device pivoted within the drawhead intermediate of its length,the forward end of which is adapted to be interposed between the flatsurface of the tail end of the hook, and the solid inner wall of thedrawhead, a chain or other like device attached to the rear inner end ofthe said locking device and passing through a hole in the bottom of thedrawhead, and means for operating said chain, substantially asdescribed.

2. A car coupler of the class described, comprising a drawhead, a hookpivoted to the same, a cavity formed in the top of the said drawhead andin communication with the interior of lthe same, a locking devicepivoted intermediate of its length the forward end of which is adaptedto be interposed between the flat surface of the tail end of the hookand the solid inner wall of the drawhead, and means attached to the rearinner end of the said locking device and passing through a hole in thebottom of the coupler, substantially as described.

3. A car coupler consisting of a draw head and knuckle, a cavity formedin the top of the said drawhead, a locking device pivoted intermediateof its length the forward end of which is adapted to be interposedbetween the tail end of the knuckle and the drawhead, a rearwardextension 14, formed on the said locking device, a shaft 15, having abent end 16, achain 18, connecting the locking device with the end ofthe said shaft, an arm 21, fixed to the said shaft, and a chain 22,connecting the said arm with the said knuckle, for opening the samesubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM J. WALKER. LOUIS HAMMERSCHMIDT.

